I find snakes interesting, but owning one? No.
I have to admit-I have always liked chipmunks. I like their sleek form, striped bodies, and flat out industriousness. And, like red squirrels, they seem to drink expresso all day long.
So it was sad for me when I had to start treating them like vermin. They were destroying my yard burrowing under it.
I have always thought the most dangerous things to men my age were stepladders and slippery showers.
With those depressions caused by the chipmunk burrows, I thought THEY might be out to get me.
So my wife has me get rid of them. She is far more cold, pragmatic, and non-sentimental than I am about this, but when it comes to eliminating them, I guess it has to be my job. Her job is growing things, so that is her job.
I do backyard photography as a hobby, and that includes a lot of critters at this house. I have some really cute chipmunk shots. We trap them when they get into our garage or basement, spray paint their tails, and let them go. If we get one with paint on him, he doesn’t get a second reprieve. They are so destructive. Sometimes it does seem like they’re after us!